December 30, 2023 - Auction Central News

Vanity cases by Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Alfred Langlois dazzled bidders at Tajan

1925 Van Cleef & Arpels vanity case, which sold for €76,000 ($81,960, or $99,175 with buyer’s premium) at Tajan.

PARIS — Legend has it that Charles Arpels (of legendary Van Cleef & Arpels fame) saw a lady friend stashing her lipstick and other cosmetics in an ordinary cigarette tin for a trip out on the town. He went to work, designing what would become known as the vanity case, a must-have for any well-dressed woman on the go. Today, these Art Deco-era vanity cases are highly sought-after by contemporary collectors, as Tajan demonstrated with its Collecting Beauty sale, which took place on December 5. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale’s top lot was a 1925 Van Cleef & Arpels enameled lapis lazuli, rose-cut diamond, platinum and 18K gold vanity case. Signed Van Cleef & Arpels Paris and numbered 27797 and 7050, the case carried a French assay mark and the Strauss, Allard & Meyer maker’s mark. Estimated at €25,000-€30,000 ($26,960-$32,350), it hammered for a remarkable €76,000 ($81,960, or $99,175 with buyer’s premium).

A 1927 Cartier enamel, ruby, lapis lazuli and 18K gold vanity case performed similarly, selling for €67,000 ($72,080 or $87,210 with buyer’s premium). The case was signed Cartier Londres New York and was numbered 8787 and 6144.

Headquartered in Paris, Alfred Langlois was an independent maker of vanity and cigarette cases, often for Van Cleef & Arpels, who signed an exclusivity deal with him in 1932 and eventually took over his firm. This 1925 vanity case featured mother-of-pearl, enamel, lapis-lazuli, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, jade, a diamond, platinum and 18K gold. Bearing both a French assay mark and Alfred Langlois maker’s mark, it sold for €45,000 ($48,410 or $58,570 with buyer’s premium).

1925 Van Cleef & Arpels vanity case, which sold for €76,000 ($81,960, or $99,175 with buyer’s premium) at Tajan.

1927 Cartier vanity case, which sold for €67,000 ($72,080 or $87,210 with buyer’s premium) at Tajan.

1925 Alfred Langlois vanity case, which sold for €45,000 ($48,410 or $58,570 with buyer’s premium) at Tajan.

1925 Black, Starr & Frost vanity case, which sold for €39,000 ($41,950 or $50,760 with buyer's premium) at Tajan.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Haviland Limoges porcelain and American cut glass shine at Woody Jan. 6

DOUGLASS, Kan. – A private Colorado collection of Haviland Limoges comes to market at Woody Auction on Saturday, January 6, along with a variety of American cut glass, KPM and more, highlighting the decorative arts mastery of 19th-century artisans. The catalog is now available for bidding in an online-only auction at LiveAuctioneers.

David Haviland was an importer of English porcelain who, upon encountering the fine wares coming out of France, immediately shifted his focus and business model. He began slowly by purchasing porcelain from other manufacturers and having his own Limoges-based artisans decorate and fire them. By the 1860s, his operation was fully capable and was producing some of the finest French porcelain of the 19th century.

As the 19th president of the United States, serving from 1877-1881, Rutherford B. Hayes placed what was at the time the most expensive order for White House state dinner service porcelain, choosing Haviland as the preferred vendor. This incredible fish platter, featuring the presidential seal of the era, is “one of the rarest Haviland items” ever encountered by the auctioneer. The platter is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

Signed by artist Edouard Sandoz and marked for Haviland Limoges, this duck or pelican-themed tea service set dates to the 1920-1936 period. It has some minor repairs, as noted by the auctioneer, but is in otherwise remarkable condition and considered “very rare” by Woody. It carries an estimate of $1,000-$2,500.

American brilliant cut glass (ABCG) continues to fascinate collectors with its complex artistry. From the same Colorado collection comes this ABCG wine stem featuring a turquoise cut to clear design with a Croesus pattern By J. Hoare. It is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

Large sets are also included in the sale. A “massive” Bohemian art glass coffee set in the style of Moser is estimated at $750-$1,500, while a Pikard pedestal punch bowl set is also estimated at $750-$1,500.

Haviland fish platter with the U.S. presidential seal from the Rutherford administration, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at Woody Auction.

Haviland Limoges duck or pelican-themed tea service set, estimated at $1,000-$2,500 at Woody Auction.

American brilliant cut glass wine stem, estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at Woody Auction.

Bohemian art glass coffee set in the style of Moser, estimated at $750-$1,500 at Woody Auction.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

American Brilliant Cut Glass American Brilliant Cut Glass (ABCG) Bohemian art glass Bohemian glass Edouard Sandoz Haviland Haviland Limoges J. Hoare Pikard President Rutherford B. Hayes Rutherford B. Hayes Woody Auction Woody Auction LLC

Antiquarian books for children stole the show at Andrew Jones

50-item lot of movable and pop-up books, which sold for $4,200 ($5,460 with buyer’s premium) at Andrew Jones Auctions.

LOS ANGELES — For its final sale of 2023, Andrew Jones Auctions brought to market an eclectic mix of antiques, design, Asian art and perhaps most interestingly, a number of vintage children’s books that outperformed their estimates by large multiples. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

Paper tunnel books — which treat the viewer to a three-dimensional world via multiple paper inserts viewed front to back — were all the rage in the 19th century, and even into the early 20th century. A collection of nine examples, ranging from views of Paris and London to historical events, became the top lot of Day One of the December 13-14 event. Carrying a modest presale estimate of $600-$800, determined bidders drove the lot to a $5,500 hammer price ($7,150 with buyer’s premium).

Lothar Meggendorfer (1847-1925) was a German cartoonist and publisher who can rightly be considered the father of pop-up and movable books. The sale included a six-book lot showcasing the genius of Meggendorfer, in both German and English, and all “movable toybooks” as he referred to them. Estimated at $800-$1,200, they sold for $4,600 ($5,980 with buyer’s premium), reflecting strong demand for vintage novelty publications.

Continuing on the same theme was a 50-item lot of movable and pop-up books from various publishers, with a number being issued by early publishing and toy pioneer McLoughlin Brothers of New York. The lot was only estimated at $200-$300, but hammered at an amazing $4,200 ($5,460 with buyer’s premium).

Two more lots of movable and pop-up books continued the estimate-shattering trend of the sale. Nine 19th-century movable / pop-up books sold for $2,600 ($3,380) against a $400-$500 estimate, while five Lothar Meggendorfer ‘movable toybooks’ hammered at $2,200 ($2,860 with buyer’s premium).

19th- and 20th-century paper tunnel books, which sold for $5,500 ($7,150 with buyer’s premium) at Andrew Jones Auctions.

Lothar Meggendorfer, six movable toybooks, which sold for $4,600 ($5,980 with buyer’s premium) at Andrew Jones Auctions.

50-item lot of movable and pop-up books, which sold for $4,200 ($5,460 with buyer’s premium) at Andrew Jones Auctions.

Nine 19th-century pop-up and movable books, which sold for $2,600 ($3,380 with buyer's premium) at Andrew Jones Auctions.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Andrew Jones Andrew Jones Auctions Lothar Meggendorfer movable books paper tunnel books pop-up books

UPDATED – New Year’s Day is Auction Day at these houses

Guy Carleton Wiggins, ‘5th Avenue Winter Storm,’ estimated at $30,000-$50,000 at Nadeau’s Auction Gallery.

NEW YORK – U2’s hit song New Year’s Day famously starts with the line, ‘All is quiet on New Year’s Day.’ That definitely isn’t the case in the auction world, where an increasing number of houses have embraced the idea of marking the first day of the year with a sale.

Below are a list of auction houses on the LiveAuctioneers platform that will be holding New Year’s Day sales, with links to those sales. We at Auction Central News will update this list as more sale catalogs come online.

1stBid, New Year Art & Rug Auction

863 Auctions – Collectible Plates

Activity Auctions, 2024 Unveiled: Timeless to Trendy

Ararity Auctions, Ararity’s New Year’s Day Fine Jewelry Auction

Arqueo Arts, New Year | Modern & Vintage Art

Ark Auctions Inc, Designer Jewelry Russian Bronzes Handbags

The Auction Barn LLC, New Year’s Day Auction

Avra Art Auctions, January Auction, Art & Decorative Objects

Baker’s Antiques and Auctions, New Year’s Day Auction

Bidalot Coin Auction, Bidalot Coin Auction Jan 1st 2024 at 7 PM EST

Bid Global International Auctioneers, New Year’s Day Creme De La Creme of Diamonds

Several sales at Bidhaus, including the Extended End of Year Sale – Designer Bags +